Questions about shipping-including confusion about the many different carrier services offered and time of delivery-are key reasons buyers contact sellers. That's why starting in June, the shipping options you offer when listing on eBay.ca will be displayed to Canadian buyers using industry-standard terms and including delivery estimate ranges. Similar changes were implemented for listings created on eBay.com in 2011, and have given US buyers clearer choices while helping to set delivery expectations, and reduce shipping-related questions.

Highlights

Starting in June, shipping options you offer when listing on eBay.ca will be displayed along with estimated delivery more prominently throughout the eBay.ca buying process. At the top of the item page and during checkout, we will use one of the same four familiar service level terms already in use on eBay.com:

Economy

Standard

Expedited

Express

As always, the estimated delivery displayed to buyers will be the shipping time plus your handling time. For example, if you offer a service with 2-13 day carrier timeframe and you specify a 1-day handling time, buyers will see this option as "Standard shipping" with estimated delivery in 3-14 days.

Canadian buyers will now see their options described with these new standard terms along with estimated delivery right at the top of the view item page. This will help inform their purchase decision and reduce shipping-related questions.

As always, if you select one or more of the Canada Post or UPS Canada services during the listing process, buyers will see the exact services you offer in the shipping details section of the item page.

During checkout, buyers will now see their options described with these four new standard terms along with estimated delivery and the carrier shipping service offered, when applicable, to help with their choice.

As always, after they purchase, buyers see the specific shipping service used along with estimated delivery on order details page.

After the item arrives, when they leave Feedback buyers will continue to see the payment date and estimated delivery date.

You'll still be able to choose from all the Canada Post and UPS Canada services available today. When you list, you'll see them grouped according to the four service level classifications along with the carrier's published delivery estimates.

If you use a carrier other than Canada Post or UPS Canada, simply choose one of the new generic shipping services that best represents your carrier's delivery estimates.

If you ship your items using a freight service there will be a new shipping option for freight in the drop down menu. You will then be able specify your freight options in your item description.

If your item is located outside of Canada, choose one of the new generic shipping services for International items that best represents your carrier's delivery estimates.

Two existing generic shipping services that don't have delivery estimates associated with them are being retired: "Standard Delivery" and "Expedited Delivery". Starting in June, these services will no longer be available for new and renewing listings on eBay.ca. If you have Good 'Til Cancelled listings created on eBay.ca that use either "Standard Delivery" or "Expedited Delivery", you'll need to either revise or relist these listings using another domestic shipping service.

eBay.ca Shipping Services Being Retired in June 2011

Standard Delivery

Expedited Delivery

Current shipping services with minimum and maximum expected delivery times

Existing branded shipping service name

Category

Min

Max

Canada Post Lettermail

Economy

2

6

Canada Post Regular Parcel

Standard

2

10

Canada Post Expedited Flat Rate Box

Expedited

1

7

Canada Post Expedited Parcel

Expedited

1

7

Canada Post Xpresspost

Express

1

3

Canada Post Priority Next A.M.

Express

1

2

UPS Express Canada

Express

1

1

UPS Express Saver Canada

Express

1

1

UPS Expedited Canada

Express

2

2

UPS Standard Canada

Expedited

1

3

New services added with minimum and maximum expected delivery times

New eBay.ca Services Being Added in June 2011

New service classification

Shipping time used for estimated delivery

Economy shipping

Economy

1 - 15 business days

Standard shipping

Standard

1 - 10 business days

Expedited shipping

Expedited

1 - 5 business days

Express shipping

Express

1 - 2 business days

Economy shipping from outside Canada

Other

16 - 20 business days

Standard shipping from outside Canada

Other

11 - 15 business days

Expedited shipping from outside Canada

Other

1 - 10 business days

Existing international unbranded shipping services that will be renamed

Existing unbranded shipping service name

New unbranded shipping service name

Standard Int'l Flat Rate Shipping

Standard Int'l Shipping

Expedited Int'l Flat Rate Shipping

Express Int'l Shipping

Take Action

If you currently list on eBay.ca and specify Canadian domestic shipping using any of the branded Canada Post or UPS Canada services, your listings won't require any changes.

If you currently list on eBay.ca and use calculated shipping for Canadian domestic buyers, your listings won't require any changes.

If you currently list on eBay.ca and specify Canadian domestic shipping using the "Standard Delivery" or "Expedited Delivery" domestic services, beginning in June, you'll need to select a different shipping service on any new listings or relists.

If you have Good 'Til Cancelled listings that use either the "Standard Delivery" or "Expedited Delivery" domestic shipping services, revise your listing and switch to a branded Canada Post or UPS Canada service before June, or else wait until June and then select whichever of the new generic shipping services that best fits your carrier's delivery standards.

Give buyers a choice-offer more than one shipping service. This can help your sales when buyers are looking for faster delivery. The options you offer will be prominently displayed to Canadian Buyers on eBay.ca with estimated delivery at the top of the item page and in checkout.

Buyers often do not understand the many different shipping services offered. Seeing shipping options and delivery times prominently displayed in familiar terms will help them decide what to buy and how fast they want it shipped. This will help sellers set the right buyer expectations, reduce questions about shipping before and after the transaction, and encourage buyers to leave better shipping DSRs.

Estimated delivery will be your handling time plus the carrier's stated shipping time for the specific service. For example if you specify a handling time of 2 days and you choose a Canada Post service with a shipping time of 2 to 13 business days, your buyer will see estimated delivery as 4 to 15 days.

Yes, you can use the shipping carrier of your choice. If you want to use a carrier service that's not included in the drop-down menu, simply choose the new generic service—Economy, Standard, Expedited or Express—that best represents the stated shipping time of your preferred carrier service.

Yes, there is a new freight option you can choose from in the drop down menu at the top of the shipping section on the Sell Your Item form. You can then add your freight service information in the item description for your buyers. Unfortunately, your item will only be shown domestically. If you want your item to show up on another site such as .com, you will need to list your item on that site as well.

Delivery ranges are based on the published service standards of large Canadian carriers, and are based on the standards between most major centres. Because Canada is a very large country, carrier delivery estimates for any given shipping service can vary significantly. To set reasonable buyer expectations, the minimum and maximum estimates are spaced accordingly.

Starting in June, these services will no longer be available for new and renewing listings on eBay.ca. You'll need to select a different shipping service in order to renew your listing.

If you have a Good 'Til Cancelled listing that was created on eBay.ca and uses only the "Standard Delivery" and/or "Expedited Delivery" generic services, beginning in June, the listing will be ended when it reaches its next subsequent 30-day renewal date. These listings will show in your ended items container in My eBay or Selling Manager, and can be relisted using any valid Canadian domestic shipping service.

If your GTC listing was created on eBay.ca and uses the "Standard Delivery" and/or "Expedited Delivery" generic services, but also uses at least one other valid domestic Canadian shipping service, the retired shipping services will be removed from the listing when it reaches its next subsequent 30-day renewal date.

You can't specify same-day handling so the minimum estimated delivery time is always 2-3 days. But you can specify an Express service and a 1-day handling time and tell buyers in your listing description that orders received by a certain time will be shipped the same day.